NYS Music 20​18

Category: Reviews

  • Hearing Aide: The Weeknd, ‘My Dear Melancholy,’

    The Weeknd released a six-track EP called My Dear Melancholy, as a surprise in the early morning of Friday, March 30, following up his previous effort, 2016’s Starboy. Earlier that day, The Weeknd had posted a photo of the cover art of the EP with the caption “tonight,” leading fans to correctly speculate that they would hear new material that evening.

    My Dear Melancholy, was launched through XO and Republic Records. It’s a direct, dark message that describes the lows that come with ending a relationship. Its synth waves matched with blunted 808 kicks and lo-fi Moog leads create the perfect film noir atmosphere for a dramatic reading of this letter in a high pitch, saccharine croon. The featured vocal style features a redux of influences like Michael Jackson and Prince, and mingles well with contemporaries such as Bruno Mars and 6lack. Much like the cover art, Melancholy is a unique cross between new age R & B; hip hop bass and drum lines with Halloween synth parts and moody melodies.

    The Weeknd My Dear Melancholy“Call Out My Name” opens the EP and describes a bad relationship, labeled a “mistake” in the first verse. The narrator, born Abel Tesfaye, 28, denies responsibility for the relationship’s downfall, accusing the former partner of “wasting [his] time.” The theme of time wasting comes up again as the title of the third track, “Wasted Times,” where Tesfaye introduces a second relationship, one that occurred a long time ago. In this track, he compares the two relationships, saying that “she wasn’t even half of you,” as an ode to the one who got away.

    Perhaps his downfall is that his lyrics have no repentance. He refuses to see his own faults in the described situation and he attempts to make the subject jealous, while also complaining that she dates other people. Instead of contemplating what he could have done better, he wastes time by both bragging about his wounds and shifting blame throughout the narrative. But his broken heart is consumable. It works. It sells. It’s tearfully, deliciously entertaining.

    Although Tesfaye has possibly the most recognizable face in modern hip hop and pop music, he keeps a relatively low profile in the public eye, rarely giving interviews or confirming information about his personal life. This adds to the air of mystery that is also carried through the image and production of the EP. Melancholy hosts collaborators such as Gesaffelstein, who produced tracks 4 and 5, “Hurt You,” and “I Was Never There.” Other producers, co – producers, and collaborators included Frank Dukes (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6); Cirkut (track 5); Marz (track 2); and more. Tesfaye handled executive production after multiple tours throughout 2016 and ‘17 following Starboy.

    Overall, My Dear Melancholy, keeps the presentation short, sweet, and sad; yet hopefully open-ended like the comma attached to the title. It’s a tragic story, but it gives a lot of insight into its subject in a way many listeners can understand. Atmospheric, smokey production with a few plot twists that work are a great pairing with the emotional lyrics and intense delivery. Although sometimes extra, The Weeknd delivered a solid performance and debuted a message about a darker time in life, and his pain comes across as genuine.

    My Dear Melancholy, can be found on all major digital music platforms.

    Key tracks: Try Me, Wasted Times, Hurt You

  • Hearing Aide: Haunted Cat ‘Haunted Cat’

    Haunted Cat released their self-titled thirteen-track album earlier this year. The album was a solo project developed by Drew Benton. Benton has played with bands like Complicated Shirt and ToUGH in New York’s Capital Region for fifteen years, and is now working on his own material. The band that stemmed from the advent of this project includes Jason Jette from Complicated Shirt, Moon Worship, and Brevator, Brook Degener from Brent Gorton’s band and Better Pills, and Kevin Flansburg from John Rifle. The record was mastered by Jason Loewenstein.

    This album kicks off with an 18 second Phantom of the Opera-like organ passage in “Carfull of Nightmares.” The introduction quickly transitions into “Sing a Rainbow.” This has a childlike quality to it with the sound of a crib mobile/music box type of sound under the vocals. This sounds just like a ’90s indie track with the simplistic, youthful writing. “I Played a Bored Whore” provides quite the contrast; it sounds like a song straight out of the ’80s with the synthesizer and technological string sounds. The message of the song is a bit unclear, but it’s got a great punchy bass line.

    “Angry is Ugly” sounds just like a Bon Iver song with the vocal distortion technique used. There’s some backward masking in “Spyglass Time Capsule.” It remains to be determined if there is a hidden message within the lyrics. The most unique track is “Funeral for a Bird” which is a classical piano composition. It features no other instruments. The closing song is “Reaper Calls Collect.” This is clever in that the ringing continues throughout the whole song relentlessly; you wouldn’t want to pick up a call from the Grim Reaper if you had the choice!

    The album features unique timbres throughout, raw vocals and interesting harmonies. The collection of songs features something for a wide variety of tastes. The album showcases Benton’s diverse musical talents in both his writing and performance.

    The band is hosting a release party on May 4 at The Low Beat in Albany, NY at 9 pm. Catch Hill Haints at the show as well.

    Key Tracks: Funeral for a Bird, Styrofoam Bird, Posture Lessons

  • Funk and Hip-Hop Invade Buta Pub

    I met the lead singer of The Elementals about a year ago at the winter Battle of the Bands competition at Lovin’ Cup at RIT. I was there supporting my brother, before I even picked up a camera to shoot bands semi-professionally. While I wasn’t there for him, Dari Pryce of The Elementals put on a great show. Dari was in a different band at the time that is no longer together, but he has brought his talent and sound to The Elementals. Dari contacted me after my brother posted the pictures I took of his last show. Dari wanted me to come out and take pictures of his band and I accepted. buta pub

    Dari introduced me not only to his new band, but also to Blake Pattengale; (a student at the Eastman School of Music) and the rest of his band; Red Beard Samurai. Blake and company were electric with a sound that was not only lively with fast spitting lyrics and great beats, but also with a funk sound coming from the trumpet and trombone. Red Beard Samurai has a unique sound and creative bars, but also sounds like some famous artists of whom you might have heard. When I listen to Red Beard, his lyrics remind me of rappers such as Little Dicky and some rappers of the ’90s. I also got a feeling that I was listening to the rapper Outasight who published a popular single called “Good Morning.”


    Dari and The Elementals was energetic and the crowd was happy to the band. The vibe in the room was very lively as The Elementals rocked the house. Dari’s funky love songs were blasting through the speakers as the crowd enjoyed every minute of it. The amount of passion that was exhibited through Dari’s vocals was palpable. Watching those guys up close, you could tell how much fun they were having. Geraldo the trumpet player was laughing all throughout the set as he enjoyed playing with the band as a guest musician. Even though I knew Geraldo was not an original member of the group, he blended in perfectly with the rest of the guys. The lead guitarist  (Zach Cullinton) was rocking through the whole show, eyes closed most of the time as he vibed to the room and the music. The bassist (Zach Cullinton) and drummer (Christos Dembeyiotis) brought veteran talent to the group of young kids and rounded out the band very well. After the group was done, they gathered for a group shot around the pool table. I can’t wait to work with both The Elementals and Red Beard Samurai again. Red Beard will be playing again at Buta Pub on April 20, and The Elementals will be playing at Three Heads Brewery April 19 and at Funk ‘n Waffles on May 12.

  • Hearing Aide: TAUK ‘Shapeshifter I: Construct’

    The age-old dilemma for musicians who thrive in the live setting is trying to figure out how to take the sounds and experiences they magically produce spur of the moment and capture it on record. While it was no easy task, heavy instrumental rock fusion group TAUK did an exemplary job at taking what makes them pop as a live band and showcasing their unique sound with a fresh batch of compositions for their new EP, Shapeshifter I: Construct.

    TAUK Shapeshifter I ConstructListening to the EP, the first thing that comes to mind is how strikingly appropriate the Shapeshifter name is.  The band is constantly changing their style from track to track, as well as within smaller parts of their meticulously well written compositions. Within a matter of minutes, the band weaves through movements that draw inspiration from a variety of genres from jazz, metal and hard rock to techno, reggae and hip hop. While this may sound like one large sensory overload, TAUK does a fantastic job of blending unlikely melodies and expressions while producing a sound that flows effortlessly and keeps the listener highly engaged.

    If the album did not sound so clean, it would not be crazy to think that each track was taken from a live show. The band does a pristine job emulating their live sound in the studio to the point where, if you close your eyes as you are listening, you can imagine yourself dancing along to the tracks in an imaginary theater with blue and green lights flashing around. TAUK’s unique blend of textured soundscapes and high energy compositions keeps the listener on their toes, constantly fascinated and curious as to when the second Shapeshifter will be released.

    Key Tracks: Square 2, Stranger Danger, Malware

  • Kung Fu at Buffalo Iron Works

    One of the best parts about living in Western New York is the guarantee that on any given weeknight you can catch mesmerizing performances by world class artists who dominate their niche. One night that might mean seeing the next up and coming jam band, and the next a jazz legend you never thought you’d see live. On Thursday, March 29, Buffalo was devoted to pure funk as Kung Fu turned Buffalo Iron Works into a contemporary groove factory.

    Before Kung Fu took the stage and serenaded the crowd with their jams, Maryland-based funk/psychedelic band LITZ got things going early in the night with a unique sound of their own. The four-piece opener thoroughly engaged the audience by incorporating different wind instruments, deep funk grooves and an animated front man who sang like a combination of Steve Winwood and Greg Allman. The band clearly did their homework and it showed, as the crowd went wild for their rendition of “Shout” with a full “Let’s Go, Buffalo” call and response section. By the time Kung Fu took the stage, the crowd felt a collective euphoric buzz and was eager keep dancing.

    Kung Fu got things going again with a grimy funk groove which picked up right where LITZ left off. Guitar player Tim Palmieri was quick to showcase his technical ability as he laid down a swirling, meditative solo which bounced sounds around the room like a ripple in a small pond. The murky green lights behind the band gave the impression that the crowd was being brought to Oz as the band made their way through the final verse.

    Without missing a beat, the band quickly teleported the audience from Oz to 42nd street in 1977 with a gripping funk instrumental led by saxophone player Rob Somerville that can only be described as “street music.” Percussionist Adrian Tramontano held down the low end and hypnotized the crowd with exotic fills while the rest of the band took turns with individual takes on the song’s main theme.

    As the set went deeper it was clear the band knew exactly what tricks to pull to have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. The veteran funk group seemed to do everything right as they strutted along as one cohesive entity, making impressive shifts in tempo, dynamics and key. They nailed composed sections to difficult newer songs as if they had been playing them for years, and could turn on their improvisational prowess on the turn of a dime. Bassist Chris DeAngelis was clearly responsible for many improvisational peaks of the night, as he dazzled everyone in attendance, both on and off stage, with his natural feel for the groove and prodigious knowledge of the instrument.

    The band only got tighter as the night continued, with keyboard player Beau Sasser keeping the rest of his bandmates on their toes by changing keys and tempos mid jam. It was clear that the band was constantly challenging both themselves and the audience throughout the show, giving the feeling that anything could happen at any point. While most of the night was rooted heavily in funk, it was obvious that the band was influenced by a wide variety of music from around the globe, creating an incredibly personal, indistinguishable sound. At one point, it felt like the band was leading an exploration of an Egyptian pyramid, and then suddenly without a warning they were in the middle of a Coltrane-esqe avant guard cyclone.

    By the time Kung Fu finished up their last song and said their goodbyes to the crowd at Buffalo Iron Works, no one in crowd was ready to leave. They received a cheering ovation and came out for one more high energy ‘victory lap’ song which sent attendants home smiling and wishing they were returning for one more night of funk.

  • Hearing Aide: John Craigie “Opening for Steinbeck”

    John Craigie combines the guitar of Bob Dylan with the idealism of Seeger, the wit of Mitch Hedberg with the longing sound of John Prine. Take all that in, and you’ll get an enjoyable, relaxing, humorous album in Opening for Steinbeck.John Craigie

    The title itself refers to Craigie’s noting that musicians are one of the only professions to have opening acts, as if you would have to read a short story by another author before getting to a work by Steinbeck. Casual wit like this that flickers like a fuse before popping on the punchline is something you might find in Carlin, or Todd Snider, and Craigie makes his own mark as a troubadour, a social satirist and a singer/songwriter with an engaging live show.

    Lightly touching on religion (the hypocrite take down of “Leviticus”) and politics (“Presidential Silver Lining”), John Craigie treats the audience like adults with college humor and observations on life that get far out at times but swing back in with a laugh. Sharing anecdotes about how his father grew up with Michael Collins, he sings on the song of the same name about the astronaut who went to the moon, but never left the spacecraft. “Westbound BART” is a missed connections Craigslist ad that is touchy and easy to identify with. “28” may be the most poignant of all, asking that he make it to 28 and not befall the same fate that Hendrix, Joplin, Cobain, Morrison and so many others found. Craigie takes the dark and makes it light, and does so in a superb album.

    Key Tracks: Burning Man, Leviticus, Westbound BART, 28

  • Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra Worth the Wait for Honest Folk

    Honest Folk has been around for almost exactly two years, and they’ve been itching to book San Francisco’s Marty O’Reilly and the Soul Orchestra ever since. The dream became reality on Tuesday night at Good Luck, and it was well worth the wait.

    marty O'reillyMore than midway through their show, lead vocalist and guitar slinger Marty O’Reilly apologized that they weren’t playing straightforward folk music. Of course, no apology was necessary.  The crowd had already been moved to multiple standing ovations and were visibly having a hard time containing their gyrations to the confines of their seats. No apology was necessary, regardless, because their music was their music and no one in the room was there to judge its purity. While the promoter’s name may be Honest Folk, the ‘folk’ could just as well refer to the people, not the genre. That is, the people who book the shows, the people who support the shows, the people who attend the shows and the people who play the shows, honest folk one and all.

    And what about their music? Genre-less for sure. We know so far that it isn’t exactly folk. It’s also bluesy, but not the blues, soulful but not soul, and rocking but not rock. O’Reilly’s band mates, Chris Lynch on fiddle, Ben Berry on upright bass and Matt Goff on drums and percussion, aka the Old Soul Orchestra, are old souls pumping with new blood. The band’s origins stem from the blues which certainly shines through. But even in covering some traditional blues, like Muddy Waters’ “Smokestack Lightning” or Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor,” the lyrics are the same, but the music is rewrote to give them a freshness all their own.

    marty O'reillyThe band is touring behind their recently released album Stereoscope, a labor of love that was years in the making, featuring songs conceived of from a cabin in picturesque Santa Cruz, California. O’Reilly’s emotional and weathered voice could evoke those landscapes on new ones like “Stereoscope,” “Ghost” and “Let the Wind In,” though they were being played on a drearily rainy and cold day in Rochester, New York. The cozy and dimly lit brick confines of Good Luck made for just as perfect a setting for the rich tapestries being constructed between the finger picked guitars and vibrantly ethereal fiddle. Goff’s drums, which meandered between intricately understated and invigoratingly punctuated, and Berry’s bass boomed and moaned at all the right junctures. They weren’t afraid to let the music take control of the band. The reins were loose and the tunes stretched their legs, arriving at some rather brilliant moments, delighting the band and audience alike.

    The show finished, as most of these shows seem to these days, with the band leaving the stage to join the audience, unmic’ed. Chairs were pushed aside and space made for the four members to play from the floor, as they broke into a stirring rendition of “Cold Canary Gaslight” off of their Pray for Rain album. The audience got to join in on the music-making fun with a finishing singalong of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Up Above My Head.”

    Hopefully it doesn’t take another two years to get these guys back to Rochester, but if it does, at least we know it’ll be worth the wait.

  • The Funk, The Whole Funk, And Nothing But The Funk

    Lettuce and The Motet finished up their two-night stand at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY on Saturday, March 24. The Motet’s high power, high energy brand of in-your-face-funk started the night off on the right foot. They were joined on stage by percussionist extraordinaire Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy, Ghost Note), adding an extra layer of rhythm to their already robust sound. Lettuce and The Motet capped the run off with a set of deep funk jams and crowd hyping beats. They came complete with a few musical twists and turns including a quick version of Biggie’s “Juicy” and encoring with Rick Jame’s “Mary Jane”.

    Set List

    Moetet:

    Own It, Damn, Supernova, Fountain, Keep On, Conatagious, Handcuffs, Get It Right

    Lettuce:

    Mt Crushmore, Lobbiest, Blaze, Prince SMZ, Purple Cabbage, S.L.A.P., Lettsanity, Gogo (Juicy), Gang Ten, 116th, Chief It Up, Moksha, Trap

    Encore:

    Mary Jane

  • Lespecial Night at The Knitting Factory

    Lespecial made their return to Brooklyn on Friday, March 23. It’s been five months since they had the release party for their latest studio album, Cheen, in Brooklyn last October. The Knitting Factory opened their doors at 11:00 p.m. for an “after midnight” show, but in true New York City fashion, the room didn’t fill up till around a quarter to 1. Also in true New York City fashion, the fans came to rage! Lespecial brought the Williamsburg crowd into the early hours of Saturday morning with a set that ran a gauntlet of musical genres. Their original songs contain influences from everything from hip-hop to metal and everything in between. Fittingly, the songs they covered on Friday ranged from Black Sabbath to Cardi B. With an arsenal of talent, high energy and a sound to call their own, Lespeical continues to be on the “must see shows” list.

    Set List:

    (Mars Attacks Theme Intro), Donut Ghost House I, Jackwise>DnB> Jackwise, HMU*> The Vessel, March of The Pigs> Piggy•, Fruit Wolf Dance> 21st Century Iron Man+> Fruit Wolf Dance, American Life#, American Apocalypse, Fanfarra % > Pray For Me~, Donut Ghost House II, Wake Up! @ > Sound That We Do> Bodak, Yellow¥, Gallows Hill

    E: Onlookers, National Anthem£

    * Space Jesus
    • Nine Inch Nails medley
    + King Crimson/Black Sabbath mashup
    # Primus
    % Sergio Mendez
    ~ Kendrick Lamar
    @ Zion I
    ¥ Cardi B
    £ Radiohead

  • Proctors Hosts Beatles Themed Capital Records Live! at GE Theatre

    It was the perfect duo – a collection of the area’s best musicians and the iconic catalog of music from The Beatles –  together at Proctors for Capital Records Live! at the GE Theatre on Friday, March 23.

    Let’s Be Leonard, Wild Adriatic, the Bryan Brundige Collective, Girl Blue, Clear Mind and Eastbound Jesus each played songs from The Beatles (the White Album) and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Each had liberty to perform its own renditions of songs from both albums. Some tried to capture the song as people remember them, while others added a unique spin to a classic track.

    Capital Records Live

    Highlights from Capital Records Live! included Bryan Brundige Collective’s rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Girl Blue welcoming the crowd to sing along to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and the gratitude expressed by the audience as Clear Mind introduced a rap spin to the 50-year-old collection of songs.

    The Rochmon Record Club provided Beatles trivia and history with a video presentation. There were moments when members of each band would stop setting up their gear to read along on the large screen behind the stage as everyone learned more about The Fab Four.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518. is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYSmusic. TheSpot518 and NYSmusic work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

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